Article handling device



May 4, 1954 E. J. Ml-:RTES

ARTICLE HANDLING DEVICE Filed April '7,l 1952 INVENTOR 50u/neo J Mf/e ris muuu.

ATTORNEY Patented May 4, 1954 vHR'II'CLE nHANDLING DEVICE .Edwan. J. Mentes; Chicago,y Ill.; assignortoailones ff&f ,Laughlin -SteeLGorDoratiom .Pittsburgh Pa., a .corporatoniotBennsylvania Application l'il, 1952.,"Seial No. 4280:864;

8 Claims. .N1

This invention is vvconcerned 'with "5a. device''for liftngwire frope` reels or'i like articles fand isz'more particularly concerned ivithia'device .of this'type viliich'may be *hung from a craneforetherhoisting means andzcaused to engage-ani article fto Vrhe liftecland clisengage such'varticleby operation of the crane hoist alone.

In Warehousing wire'rope or similarcommodities which are-normally 'Wound Aupon reels ihn-v ing fiat' circular ends withcentral'circular apertures therein, it is desirablef'to `store `these'freels of lcables on :their flat fend `faoes,=iin'cesuch la method of storage tdistributesthe 'weight 'of 'the articlesover a` considerable-"area .of iioorispace. Reels storedin this fashioniarefdifircult toiiandle by conventional means, however, since'it is'not easy to attach conventional f cable slings or simi lar apparatus tolthem. Furthermore,"tnefusee a sling or any similardevicefor `the same purpose requires the servicesrof r'a'fm'an .Ton the vfloor as Well asa man to nperate acran'e an. so 'increases the expense of 'warehousing It is therefore an object of my'invention'to provide `article Ahandling means adapted to lengage la reel stored on its-endvfacefthrough tlie center lhole in the other end falce. rlftisafurther object of my invention rnto provide ia'deviceof this sort which will automatioally:engage la :cable reel When lowered linto the center `holeandvvill automatically disengage itself "when removed therefrom. @ther objects twill appear in .the course of tlie following :description tof my v1invention.

My invention is mostreasily describedbyreference to the attached drawingsrofapresentpreferred embodimentlthereof, in which:

Figure l 'represents'a Vside A elevation `of `sno'h embodiment.

Figure 2 lis a .front elevation :of asuclr ernondid ment with the article engaging -a'rms fretracted Figure 3 is a plan'view of the'deviceinti'ige ure 1.

`Figure 4 is a detail 'view ofthe latch andtriger mechanism which Ifprefer Lto Vuse.

Figure 5 is a detail'view orthewpivotal connec-Y tion between thefarticle engaging-armeni my device.

Figure e 'is 'a front Aelevation foifmy apparatus with the article engaging l'arms fextended, 'and one outer iranieplateremoved'so that th'ework ing mechanism is' visible.

My device .has 'San outer frame formed lof 'hack and iront Vrilate's i and 2 respectivelyfattachedf!at the top 'by screws '-343 to an fopen ibottomed clevis `V5 and heldin spacedFiflation'atthelb'te2 itoin byfspace'rd and'spacerb'olt 5. Within'this frame are two elongatedmembers/B andY B'formed with outwardly turned bottom' iianges y'l 'and H -respectively. These members Iil and tare pivotally connected together'bybolt 'i2 as shown at a-pointlbelow olevis 5. The top Vends of members f 8 and 9 extend through Lthe open vbottomv of clevis"5 and are curved "to f'form hooks I5 and iGreSpeCtiVeI-y. `When the rload carrying flanges ffii-and Ii are extendedvthe hook ends -I5fand I'S of -rn'enfbers 8 and Y9respectively hang on Athe shoulders f3 and l'd-offclevis "asshown' in Figure Gso that the load is supporte'ddirectly from this vclevis'to which the crane hook may be attached. 'A latch .member IT A'is lpivotally attached to elongated member `il 'by apin V8' `and provided near its otherend with-a sharp-cornered offset 19. "When members and l'il are retracted, this sharp-"cornered onset I9 'hooks over a shoulder lon member i8 andholds members 8 'and9together. Latch member El 1, is vformed with 'an uprg'litextension Zil'atv its end remote *from pivot "8 andon this extensonZD a-trigger member -22 is "pivotiilly mounted`by pin "2L 'Theportion of trigger member`22 extendingin 'the direction'of pin i8, rwhich may 'beca'lledthe vinner end, is appre'ci'aiily longer than 'the rportion on'theother side ofpivot 2 #which maybe called the outer end. Thelupper corner 2i9fo'f the outer end'oi trigger 22 is 'beveled ong-and extentie beyond @the `end-'of latch I7'-'an`d'outside pilates i and 2'When latch kFlfen'gag'es shoulder 7. Lower corner 3i! Vof the outer end l"of trigger' 22 V:is left square. 'When pressure is exerted on beveled corner "29, Vtrigger AZ2 pivots 'aboutfpivot '-21 into the position illustrated in Figure 4. This vpivotal movement 'of trigger Z2 does not actuatelatch ITbut 4brings uthe router I'portion v'of ltrigger 22 entirely inside' plates Van'd 2. Q'nfther 'other handfvvhen presy surefis exerted-upwardly onc'orner'l' of trigger 22,-this trigger cannot pivotaboutpivot 2| because-the inner Vend of trigger member 22bears against the upper edge of latch 11. 'Trigger'ZZ together with latch il therefore pivotas :a unit about pivot'is and in x'so doing disengage offset figifromshoulder 'I allowing members r^`B 'and 9 vto drop' Vinto Tthe position 'illustrated Vin Figure 56. Asnringlzl, urges latn H 4against shoulder 7.

`Meiriber r8 is provided. With-anfarm'Z extending at rightanglesrthereto across member 9 and outf' heyond'the-edgeof `plates 'I and 2. 'Member 9 'is provided With-a like armi extending in the opposite f: direction across fmember lBV and beyondthe'edges:oftplates bandi?. These `arms -251 and'261 are '-.positionedfsome fdistance iaboveftne latch Il previously described. A at plate 28, which may be conveniently circular in form provided with a centrally located rectangular aperture dimensioned to slip easily over outer frame plates I and 2, is positioned around the outer frame for slideable movement with respect there to. 'I'he diameter of plate 2% is made greater than the diameter of the hole in the reel end. The dimensions of the rectangular aperture in plate 2S are such that this plate will. not pass the protruding head and nut of spacer bolt S at the bottom nor arms 25 and 2t near the top of my apparatus. Between these limits plate 28 moves freely on frame members i and 2 eX- cept for trigger 22 as previously mentioned, or, conve -sely as plate 28 is held stationary the remainder of my device moves through it. Mernbers S and 9 when retracted are centered by upstanding flange 2l of member d.

The operation of my device will now be described, again with reference to the embodiment illustrated in the gures. Assume the load carm rying iianges lil and i! are retracted within the frame in the position shown in Figure 2. in this position elements S and s are supported by shoulders it and i4 of clevis 5 which engage the lower curved portions of curved ends it and l respectively. lf now my apparatus is suspended from the hoist cable of a crane or similar device and positioned above the center` hole in the end face of a cable reel, the lower ends of frame plates i and 2 may be caused to descend into this hole. Plate 28, being unsupported otherwise, will rest on the ends of spacer bolt 5 until my device is lowered into the cable reel sufficiently to permit plate 28 to engage the end of the reel, This plate, being wider than the hole, will then rest upon the end face of the reel. Further lowering of my device will bring iianges i3 and I i below the inner face of the reel end and iinally as lowering of my device is continued the corner 30 of the outer end of trigger 22 engages the edge of plate 28. As has been shown previously, a slight upward force on this corner 30 of trigger 22 trips latch il, allowing members 2i and il to fall by gravity and assume the position shown in Figure 5 in which load carrying ilanges l@ and i i are extended beyond the edges of frame plates i and The curved contours of the upper ends i5 and it of members and 9 bearing against shoulders i3 and ifi of clevis 5 cause the flanges l@ and il of members 8 and 9 respectively to be forced outwardly as members i3 and S fall. Once latch il has been sprung, lowering of my device is stopped. As my device is raised, the fianges lil and i i will engage and lift the cable reel with it. So held, the cable reel or like article may be moved about by the hoist to desired location and lowered to rest. As has been mentioned, the hooked ends l 5 and i E of members B and i! respectively engage the shoulders i3 and if! of clevis and the full weight of the load is thus transmitted through the clevis to the hoist cable.

To disengage my device from the reel after the latter is at rest, the hoist is caused to lower my apparatus into the reel until arms 25 and 26 make Contact with plate 28 which is supported by the upper end face of the reel. These arms prevent members il and 9 from further descent, but do not stop the outer frame of my device from further descent. Thus, members il and Si are brought back to their former position in re lation to the frame as is shown in Figure 2', spring 2li for es latch member I T over shoulder 'l on member t, locking members 8 and 9 together. The device may then be lifted clear of the reel since its passage upwardly through plate 28 will not trip latch I1 because of the construc tion of trigger 22 previously described.

It will be understood that plate 28 makes my apparatus adaptable for use with reels or like articles having center holes of a considerable range of diameters within the span of flanges I0 and ll when extended. Without plate 2a my apparatus could be used with articles having center holes fitting the outer frame of my device closely enough to engage trigger 22 and resetting arms 25 and 26.

Although I have described a present preferred 4embodiment thereof, my invention is not to be considered as limited thereto but may be modified in detail as the requirements of the articles to be handled dictate.

l. An article lifting apparatus comprising an elongated guide member adapted to enter the article to be lifted, article engaging elements slideably retractable within the guide member and eXtensible therefrom, releasable means holding the article engaging elements together in their retracted position, trigger means extending be yond the guide member adapted to release the said releasable means upon contact with the article as the guide member enters it, thereby aln lowing the article engaging elements slideably to extend, and resetting means in spaced relation with the trigger means extending beyond the guide member adapted to move the article engaging elements slideably into their retracted positions upon contact with the article the guide member further enters it, whereby the article engaging elements are retracted, and held against gravity by the said releasaole means.

2. -An article lifting apparatus comprising an elongated guide member adapted to enter the article to be lifted and having an opening in the top, and article engaging elements retractable within the guide member and extensible theren from having upper ends extending through the opening in the top of the guide member and provided with outwardly extending projections which hook over the shoulders of said opening when the article engaging elements are in their esi-- .tended position, thereby transferring the weight of the article lifted to the guide member.

3. An article lifting apparatus comprising an elongated guide member adapted to enter the article to be lifted, article engaging elements retractable within the guide member and extensible therefrom, trigger means extending beyond the guide member for releasing the article engaging elements into the extended position. and resetting means extending beyond the member in spaced relation with the trigger means for moving the article engaging elements into their retracted position, and a fiat plate provided with an aperture of a size sumcient to pass the elongated guide member but to trip the trigger means and to engage the resetting slideably mounted on the guide member.

Li. An article lifting apparatus comprisingr elongated guide member adapted to enter th article to be lifted, article engaging elements retractable within the guide member and exten le therefrom, releasable means holding the article engaging elements in their retracted position, and trigger means extending beyond the guide member pivotally mounted on an article engaging clement adapted to release the said releasable means upon contact of the lower face of said trigger means with the article as the guide member enters it and to pivot without releasing said releasable means on contact of the upper face of said trigger means with the article.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the relea-sable means and trigger means comprise a latch member pivotally mounted at one end thereof on one article engaging element, and engaging another article engaging element, a projection at the opposite end of the latch member perpendicular thereto in the plane of movement thereof and a trigger member pivotally mounted on said projection for movement in the plane of movement of the latch member, the trigger member having a shorter end extending beyond the latch member and a longer end extending toward the pivoted end of the latch member and so mounted that a force applied to the side of the extending end adjacent the latch end moves the latch member about its pivot, but a force applied to the opposite side of the extending end moves the trigger member only about its pivot.

6. An article lifting apparatus comprising an elongated guide member adapted to enter the article to be lifted and having an opening in the top provided with shoulders, pivotally connected article engaging elements retractable within the guide member and extensible therefrom having outwardly curved upper ends slideably extending through the opening in the top of the guide member and bearing against the shoulders, the contours of said curved ends and shoulders being proportioned to cause lateral movement of the lower ends of the article engaging elements when they are moved axially with respect to the guide member.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further characterized by an arm extending from each article engaging element beyond the opposite side of the elongated guide member below the said pivotal connection so as to engage an article into which the elongated guide member is lowered and arrest the descent of the article engaging elements only, thereby causing them to move relative to the guide member into their retracted positions.

8. An article lifting apparatus comprising an elongated guide member adapted to enter the article being lifted, article engaging elements slideably retractable within the guide member and extensible therefrom, releasable means adapted to hold the article engaging means against gravity in their retracted position, trigger means carried by an article engaging element extending beyond the guide member adapted to release the said releasable means upon contact with the article as the guide member enters it, thus allowing the article engaging means to descend and extend, and resetting means attached to the article engaging means in spaced relation with the trigger means extending beyond the guide member and adapted to arrest the descent of the article engaging elements upon contact with the article as the guide member further enters it, whereby the article engaging elements are retracted, and held against gravity by the said releasable means.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 819,359 Markland May 1, 1906 1,720,732 Jangedyk July 16, 1929 1,794,773 Husberg et al. Mar. 3, 1931 

